Amnesty International has alleged that a Nigerian military airstrike on a crowded market in Zamfara State resulted in the deaths of at least 100 civilians. The incident occurred at the Tumfa market in Zurmi district on Sunday, marking the second such deadly strike on a crowded market in northern Nigeria within a month.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar responded to the tragedy with sharp criticism of the administration of President Bola Tinubu, stating that Nigeria is under siege and that the government appears overwhelmed, indifferent, or dangerously incompetent in the face of a national security emergency.
According to Amnesty, injured individuals are being treated at hospitals in Zurmi and nearby Shinkafi. Many of the victims were women, both young and old. The Nigerian Air Force has not yet issued a statement regarding the incident.
Witnesses cited by Amnesty on its X account reported that military jets were seen hovering over the area around midday and returned approximately two hours later to strike the bustling market. The military has been engaged in combating banditry in the North-West and a 17-year Islamist insurgency in the North-East.
Amnesty further stated that this pattern of human rights violations is becoming increasingly common, with villagers bearing the brunt of atrocities committed by armed groups, bandits, and the military. The organization emphasized that the lack of transparency and the absence of independent investigations into such reckless airstrikes continue to erode public trust in the country's institutions.
Atiku also expressed grief over the death of former House of Representatives member Abba Adamu, who was abducted by bandits along the Kaduna-Abuja highway on May 3, 2026, and died in captivity on May 12, despite efforts by his family to secure his release. The former vice president urged the federal government to treat the security collapse as a true emergency and extended condolences to the bereaved families, the people of Jigawa State, and all Nigerians suffering from worsening insecurity.
In a statement issued through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku noted that the death of a former federal lawmaker at the hands of criminals is not just a personal tragedy but a damning indictment of a government that has failed in its constitutional duty to protect lives and property.
